31 Mar 2011

Jez Kerr follows last Monday's gig at The Social in London (check out the photo gallery on Facebook) with an appearance gig at De Bees in Winsford.

Jez's band comprising Si Wolstencroft (The Fall) on drums, DJ Tintin (New Order) on keyboards and Winsford's own Keo Martin (Treatment, Latin Rascals) on guitar and keyboards will all be present and correct and everyone attending will receive a link to an exclusive download remix of Jez's new single Play Sumthing Fast.

Doors open at 7pm and a regular club night will follow on after the gig from 10pm.

Stretch Disco returns to present the first ever Greg Wilson's Reels of Steel night featuring a 3-hour set by the globally-acclaimed ex-Hacienda DJ at the Band on the Wall in Manchester on Saturday 16 April 2011. Reels of Steel will be a feast of audio-visual action; Greg has spent the last year digging through his extensive music video archive to compile a show-reel of delights that will be projected to accompany his sounds. Greg will also be spinning cuts this time through two of his trusty Revox reel-to-reel tape machines and computer. Expect an eclectic-retrospective assault on the senses while Greg keeps it reel!

All proceeds from the night will be going to disaster relief charities and the night looks set to be a major Manchester occasion. We are also raising money via just giving for people who cannot attend the event via Just Giving.

This is a reminder that tickets are still available for The Durutti Column's showcase gig in the amazing surroundings of the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on 30 April 2011.

The band's as-yet-untitled biographical album is being released on the night and will also be played live in what will be a World Premiere. Expect to also hear live tracks from the band's enormous back catalogue of over 30 albums. The album will also include a selection of Vini Reilly's photographs.

Buy your tickets now online direct from the venue. Prices start at £18.00.

There are still some premium tickets available priced £29.00 (available by calling the Box Office on +44 (0)161 907 9000 only - subject to availability) which will include a free copy of the new album. Please note this offer is not available for online bookings.

Peter Hook guests on a track off Self Help for Beginners, the new album by dark electronic pop act autoKratz which will be available on CD and digital download from Monday 30 May 2011 via the band's own Bad Life Records. The album also features Primal Scream guitarist Andrew Innes and producer Jagz Kooner.

Hooky, who has previously worked with other dance acts such as The Crystal Method, Hybrid and Arthur Baker, said of the new track Becoming The Wraith, "I was delighted to be asked by autoKratz and to hear their music I understand why. Playing on the track was very easy and the boys made it very enjoyable. I've just listened to the track and then gone for a walk and found myself singing it over and over again - it's a great track".

Obviously Hooky's dance direction is not a recent thing but rather goes way back to his dance days with New Order. Hooky explains thus:

"I was very lucky to be there during a few revolutions in dance music, from what was happening in the US with Blue Monday via Arthur Baker with Planet Rock and Confusion to acid house to the Madchester crossover to what's happened with dance music over the last twenty years. That's why I love DJing so much because I have so much to choose from. I think it’s very healthy. There's some very good artists out there: Delphic, Example, Jamie XX, Four Tet, Caribou, The Field, Radio Slave and more which is really encouraging."

autoKratz in turn explain what it was like having Hooky in the studio: "It was really inspiring to work with Hooky on this track as someone whose legacy has had such a profound impact on us, and the music we make. It really was a privilege. As soon as he picks up the bass it sounds like no-one else, and he brings a unique melody to the track in a way no-one else could."

12 Mar 2011

The first ever UK display of the full Factory Records discography in the music medium, including all releases & variations on all formats, plus test pressings, etc will be held at The Ducie Bridge Pub in Manchester on 7 & 8 May 2011. The event will be opened and attended by relatives of Ian Curtis. Congratulations to Col for putting on the big show!

7 Mar 2011

CF: The vibe of Closer is at times spooky. This would have been the case regardless of what came to pass. But what I want to know is, were any of Joy Division or the people present at the recording of the album involved in any... er, occult activities? There is a whiff of brimstone in there, whether or not it's intentional.

PH: An interesting question........... we have all dabbled with the black arts at one point or other but i can safely say that at this point only Martin Hannett was not of this planet. The whiff you smell is not brimstone but possibly worry and confusion.

Martin Hannett's production on Closer still sounds incredible. Was there some kind of breakthrough before or during the recording that made it sound that way, or did the sound naturally emerge?

As is the way of great men, you never know whether they know what they are doing or not? As my mother you to say: "If you can't fight, wear a big hat". He had a very big hat on. I think he knew what he wanted to try and after all the early Factory stuff and 'Unknown Pleasures', he must have been quite confident in his abilities. The interesting thing with 'Closer' was that some of the songs were sketchy so he had much more input into the music, the keyboards specifically. He taught Bernard how to layer and think outside the box in a way. He was also experimenting more with the early ARP sequencers for drums and early ARP Quadra synthesisers.

Did Hannett favour any band members over the others? [I know nothing about recording studio politics, so maybe it's a non-question. In an interview for Scream City 4, John Dowie said that Martin Hannett seemed as if he was 'behind a wall of very thick glass'. This may have been a joke, Dowie talking about the glass in the studio, or maybe he meant that Martin was somehow present and yet remote in his dealings with him.]

No, he treated us all with the same disdain. He was a very obtuse man. It was his way. He had a wicked sense of humour that only he seemed to understand. He was good with Ian though but on 'Closer' he hated me and Barney because we were working to get our ideas in. The portrayal in 'Control' was correct: Bernard and I would take it in turns to suggest things which he took as criticism. I know what Dowie means........

When New Order started producing their own stuff, it seemed like a new magic started to happen. Did you use techniques learnt from Hannett? If so, which ones?

Bernard and I learnt all we could from Martin. As his behaviour got worse we knew we couldn't carry on working with him so we soaked it up like a sponge and used his tricks and techniques as much as possible. What he did teach us was not to be afraid to experiment and believe in what you're doing. Bullshit baffles brains, etc, etc. Go for it. I think we took it further really. I would work on the production with Mike Johnson our engineer and Barney would come up with the mad ideas. We were a great team on the early LPs. I won't get too technical about it though.

Did Tony Wilson provide any guidance during the recording of Closer? And after the recording was finished, did he criticise any of it?

Him and Rob were always there, Rob in particular. Rob much preferred being with the musicians wherever they were rather than be in an office. I think they were both confident that between us we would do a good job. To my knowledge the only criticism was from me and Barney. I got a shock when I learnt of the letter from Ian saying he wasn't happy with it. I thought he was.

How aware were you at the time just how phenomenally far the band had developed in the few years between the time it started an the release of Closer? And after Closer, was there any fear of failure?

Yes, I think we knew we were writing better songs, we had seen that develop. To be honest the songwriting in Joy Division was always easy but we were not thinking about being successful. We were happy doing what we were doing but our main fear throughout 'Closer' was Ian's illness.

The new E.P. by The Light features the 'lost' track 'Pictures in my Mind'. How did that come about and how far developed was the track from all those years ago when you rediscovered it? What kind of state was the tape in and did any vocals by Ian exist?

Yes there were vocals on it. I plan put the original on the fac51thehacienda.com so people can compare it. To be honest it had all the elements needed to finish so it so I can't understand why we didn't.

The tape in question was lent to someone in trust by Rob Gretton. I don't know the details but the guy copied it and passed it round a rather elite bunch of Joy Division bootleg fans and then someone in the inner circle leaked it and a nice American kid called Seth passed it back to me. He also transcribed the lyrics for me. Thanks Seth. All I did was sing it and make it make sense bar and order wise. The lads in The Light helped me with it and Jack plays bass on it. I don't know where the tape is or even what format it was on: cassette, reel to reel or what?

How did you decide the other Joy Division tracks to include on the E.P.?

That was easy. Rowetta has been helping me out since the start. I think she does a beautiful job and I'm always trying to get her to sing more so I can play bass. A lot of people had been asking her to record them so the idea was there. The problem is it's hard to justify the expense of recording because you do not earn the money back. Nevertheless I'm glad to be doing it. The sleeve is great. It's done by a graphic artist called James Chadderton who specialises in post-nuclear attack drawings of Manchester and it was recorded on the 11 Feb 2011 hence 11022011 as somebody pointed out the date was a palindrome and it worked as a concept.

After the Unknown Pleasures gigs, Closer is the obvious progression but what new challenges does playing the whole of Closer present?

'Closer' is more delicate and uses the 6-string bass a lot so it's a different vibe. When I began with 'Unknown Pleasures' I never thought we would pull it off but Nat, Andy, Paul and Jack along with Phil worked really hard and we did. I know we will do the same with 'Closer'.

What kind of approach will you take to playing the whole of what is overall a very dark album? Will you be faithful to the original or take a new direction?

What I do is take our original and incorporate Martin Hannett's sound in the performance. It's our songs with a shared sound. I do use a lot of Martin's effects so it sounds like the record. I am very, very aware of the respect that people hold for these records and I would never insult their intelligence by doing it half arsed. 'Closer' is one of my favourite records ever made alongside Nico 'Chelsea Girls', Lou Reed 'Berlin', Ian Dury 'New Boots and Panties'. And John Cale 'Paris 1919'.

Are you going to add any other non-Closer tracks that weren't done on the Unknown Pleasures into the set on this tour?

Of all the people who've approached you to say that they're a Joy Division fan, who's been the most unlikely?

I am so happy whenever anyone says it to me i dont think that way. I now get young and old, male and female. I don't care... It's a great compliment to all four of us that people hold the group and the music in such high regard.

CF: Manchester: since the death of Tony Wilson it feels like a different place. No better, no worse. Just different. Statue? I say, no thanks. Tony, to me, was a kick the statues kind of a guy. What do you think?

I think he would be secretly pleased. Please do one of me though when I've gone and come and kick it!

We're already 14 months into a new, as yet unnamed/uncharacterised decade. Any plans?

I am happy at the moment. The past rears its ugly head but the people I work with make me strong. It's great to be playing the songs again. As for the world I'm sitting here in Doha Airport on my way back from Jakarta and watching the Middle East crumble is a frightening prospect that will mark the decade. Love Hooky '11.

Peter Hook's The Light perform Closer - Live at The Factory on Wednesday 18 May 2011 with guest vocalist Rowetta. This, the 31st anniversary of the death of Ian Curtis, will be the first time that Joy Division's masterpiece Closer has been performed live in its entirety.

Peter Hook's The Light featuring Rowetta will release their debut EP digitally via Hacienda Records on Monday 2 May 2011. The palindromically-titled 1102 / 2011 EP was recorded by the band and Rowetta on 11.02.2011 at Blueprint Studio in Salford. It features the first ever recording of a previously unfinished Joy Division track Pictures In My Mind with vocals by Peter Hook and three tracks which highlight Rowetta's unique vocal talents: Insight, New Dawn Fades and Atmosphere.

Pictures In My Mind was an unfinished Joy Division track which was unearthed by the band's "bootleg society" from a rehearsal tape stolen in 1977, setting it between Warsaw and Unknown Pleasures. The track was first performed by The Light at the opening night of The Factory in February 2011 with Hooky mindful of Ian Curtis's maxim that one started a song should always be finished, he takes the vocal himself to finish up the track.

Having performed with the band consistently since 2007 at events such as Versus Cancer, 1234 Festival, Vintage and The Factory gigs, The EP features The Light's regular guest vocalist Rowetta, across three of the classic Joy Division tracks which she has been consistently singing live with the band, Insight, New Dawn Fades and Atmosphere.

Having received great reviews for her vocal performances from Joy Division fans, Factory aficionados and her own fan base, Hooky decided to record Rowetta's unique renditions of these tracks late last year, and she joined the band at Blueprint to lay down the vocals in February 2011.

Peter Hook's The Light features Peter Hook on vocals and bass, Jack Bates on bass, Nat Wason on guitar, Andy Poole on keyboards and Paul Kehoe on drums.

Author, Dec Hickey says, "The new edition is likely to be paperback only, it will be very slightly edited and different in format to the limited edition, but 99% the same book, content-wise... and substantially cheaper.".

In the grey days of late 1970s post-punk Manchester, youth culture was a serious affair: every musical performance was measured mostly by the conviction of its delivery. The term 'New Wave' opened up free vistas where acquired skills could once again be exercised after punk's monochrome blur. It could be applied to anything from a James 'Blood' Ulmer record to the latest Throbbing Gristle release, Magazine to Swell Maps. Move outside that terrain into Sun Ra, Parliament, Frank Sinatra and Martin Denny, and your options were suddenly without limit...

Then came Tony Wilson's Factory Club (at the Russell Club in Hulme) offering an open invitation to experiment that was taken up when Ken Hollings, Howard Walmsley, Eddie Sherwood and a few others decided to make some noise to accompany their 16mm silent epic Biting Tongues. A further performance followed a few weeks later, when Colin Seddon and Graham Massey disbanded their Post Natals project and joined up. The film itself, a flashing series of negative images, became a memory; the name remained.